Mauritania joins group of oil exporting countries

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Mauritania joins group of oil exporting countries
05/04/2006

The first tanker transporting crude oil sold by Mauritania to China sailed Tuesday (4 April). "It's the first time Mauritania has sold oil in its history," said Aboubakr Ould Marwani, head of the state oil company. A previous shipment contained barrels sold by Australian firm Woodside Petroleum, with which Mauritania collaborated to develop its oil wealth. Mauritania only started pumping oil out of its offshore fields in February and recently renegotiated its profit-sharing deal with Woodside. The country has been producing about 75, 000 barrels a day since late February. (AP)